Menu

Catching Fire Advice for Francis Lawrence

Word on the street is that Francis Lawrence hasn’t officially accepted the directing position for Catching Fire yet, but after going through the motions with Lionsgate, we don’t see why he wouldn’t. So we’re just going to be optimistic and assume he’s on board!

Welcome to the beautiful, awful, chaotic world that is The Hunger Games fandom, Francis!

Some people worry that you and Jennifer will get all confused in the media because you share the same last name, but no worries! We’re on a first name basis with everyone here at Victor’s Village! You DO go by Francis, right? You don’t strike us as a Frank.

We hope you know what a major responsibility you took on when you agreed to do this project. The Hunger Games fandom is among one of the most active, passionate fandoms out there. We can be a bit critical at times, too (See: Anything on this website.)

However, we’re like this because we really do want to see you do well. Catching Fire is the favorite book for many fans. We want the movie to be just as great!

Since we want to see you succeed in rocking our faces off, here are a few pointers to help you navigate your way through Catching Fire:

You know he's a director because he's got the camera!

Respect the source material! – The majority of fans from this franchise are fans of the books first. If you go with your own interpretation which disregards major elements of the storyline, this fandom will eat you alive.

Pick great actors! – One thing we like about you is that you don’t seem to have any “darlings” that you cast in all your movies. There will likely be lots of actors scrambling for roles like Finnick, Johanna, and Beetee. Please, for the love of Peeta’s buns, cast talented actors and not just attractive ones! Finnick is more than just a hunky charmer and Johanna is more than the angry girl stereotype. We need actors who can portray that accurately.

Don’t rely on CGI! – We know from your previous works that you have a lot of experience we CGI and you’re pretty damn good at it too! We know this film will require a lot of that sort of work in post-production, especially with the limited filmimg time, but please try to keep it as real as possible! Don’t use some sound stage for the Arena or District 12. Audiences notice those things! Instead, how about that beach in Hawaii where Lost was filmed?!

Don’t take this for granted! – One of the reasons that the Hunger Games fandom loved Gary Ross was because he was a fan, just like us. It wasn’t just a job for him, it was a passion because he loved the story. We’re really hoping that you care about Catching Fire just as much. When you’re interviewed about it, get excited! Let us know that you care about what the fans think and that this isn’t just another gig.

As long as you follow these few simple rules, you should make it through this experience relatively unscathed. We can’t trust you completely just yet, but we really, really want to.

If You Do A Really Good Job, We’ll Even Forgive You For Constantine,The Girl With The Pearl